Ponseti Method

The Ponseti method is a non-surgical technique for correcting congenital clubfoot, developed by Ignacio V. Ponseti at the University of Iowa in the 1950s. It uses gentle manipulation of the foot combined with a series of plaster casts, applied and changed weekly, to gradually realign the bones and soft tissues of the foot into proper position. Treatment is often followed by a minor Achilles tendon procedure and then a period of bracing with special shoes to maintain the correction. The method was repopularized starting in 2000 by John Herzenberg in the United States and Europe, and it is now endorsed by major organizations including the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.